Doffing apparatus



Nov. 28, 1967 G. G. FORNES DOFFING APPARATUS 2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed Jan.23, 1964 INVENTOR Gaston G. Fornes BY 4.

/WWATT0RNEYS (3. G. FORNES Nov. 28, 1967 DOFFING APPARATUS 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 25, 1964 //A w I INVENTOR Gaston G. Fornes r,4 {M w g m g'flMTTORNEYS ened in a carding machine, they are combinedin a coiled manner. It is .sliver can during the packaging operation(usually clockwise in the same direction as that of the revolving plateas in conventional, have 'a movable coiler head the sliver can.

United States Patent Ofi 3,3545% Patented Nov. 28, 196'? ice 3,354,513DGFFING APPARATUS Gaston G. Fornes, Qharlottesville, Va., assignor toInstitute of Textile Technology Filed Jan. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 339,771Claims. (Cl. 3.9-159) This invention has reference to an apparatus fordofiing sliver cans after they have been packed with sliver. Theinvention is particularly directed to a dofiing apparatus which ejects asliver can after it has been packed, cuts the sliver end to apredetermined length and feeds an empty sliver can into packagingposition.

Sliver is a composite of textile fibers arranged in a ropelike masshaving a substantially circular cross-section. After the individualfibers have been cleaned and straightas they leave the machine to formthe sliver. It is customary at this stage to package the sliver in cansor drums. At a later stage in the manufacture of yarn, several sliversmay be combined in a drawing frame and the sliver thus formed is alsopackaged in cans.

Sliver is packaged by means of a sliver packaging apparatus. Theprincipal element of such an apparatus is the coiler head. The coilerhead is equipped with a revolving plate so that the sliver is depositedinto the sliver can also conventional to rotate the of the coiler head)by means the sliver can rests. The sliver of a turntable upon whichpackaging apparatus may, the coiler head in a fixed position above thesliver can or, as disclosed in co-pending Robinson et al. applicationSer. No. 284,693, now Patent No. 3,241,196, assigned to the sameassignee herein, have which is movable vertically within For the purposeof efficiency and economy of operation it is desirable to fill slivercans quickly, remove them rapidly, and immediately replace the dofi'edcan with the empty can next to be filled. The doffing mechanism must notinterfere with the rotary motion of the sliver can on the turntable yetshould permit the can to' be positively moved off the turntable at theproper moment. As the filled sliver can is moved away from its packagingposition on the turntable alength of sliver will be extending from thecan to the coiler head (the device which feeds sliver into a slivercan). Before the succeeding empty sliver can may be packed that lengthof sliver must be cut. It is preferred that the sliver ends be cut tosome constant remaining length to reduce waste and to facilitate thesubsequent removal of sliver from the packed can. It is furtherdesirable that at the start of the packaging operation in the emptysliver can the initial end of sliver be positioned below the slivercoils and not in a potentially entangling position along the side of thecan. The present invention meets all the above objectives and may beused in a sliver packaging apparatus having either a fixed conventionaltype coiler head, or a movable coiler head.

Broadly, the present invention is for a sliver can dotting mechanismwhich comprises a rotatable doifer shaft having can engaging meansattached thereto. A sliver positioning means positions the sliverpreparatory to cutting by a sliver severing means.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the can engaging meanscomprises a pair of can engaging collars which function to eject apacked sliver can and bring an empty sliver can into packaging positionupon rotation of the dolfer shaft. The sliver positioning means is alsokeyed to the rotation of the shaft. The sliver positioning meanscomprises a sliver support finger, a sliver guide post, and a slivergathering post for drawing the supported sliver against the sliver guidepost. When so drawn taut against the guide post the sliver is adjacentthe sliver severing meanswhich comprises a fixed shear blade and aflying shear blade. The movement of the flying shear blade incooperation with the fired blade cuts the sliver. The timing andactuation of the flying shear blade is governed by a trip cam on thedofier shaft acting in cooperation with a cam operated switch and asolenoid.

A better understanding of the invention can be had by reference to thedrawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective of the sliver can doffing apparatus showing,generally, the can feeding and dofiing means, the sliver gatheringmeans, the sliver severing means and the knife actuating means.

FIG. 2 is a perspective of the knife actuating means.

FIG. 3 is a sectioned elevation of the sliver severing means.

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan of the can feeding and dot?- ing means.

The sliver can dofling apparatus shown in the drawings comprises andcombines as its major elements a sliver can feeding and doffing means, asliver gathering and positioning means, a sliver severing means, and aknife actuating means. Referring specifically to FIG. 1, the principalaxis to which these various elements are related i doifer shaft 2.Doiier shaft 2 is a vertical shaft which is intermittently rotatedthrough an arc of by a drive and control means (not shown). The periodsof rotation of doifer shaft 2 are related to the sliver packaging cycleand to the completion of the sliver packaging operation.

The sliver can feeding and doffing means is best seen in FIG. 1. Doifershaft 2 is rotatably mounted on a frame (not fully shown) of the dotfingapparatus. To the rotatable doifer shaft 2 are atlixed sliver canengaging collars 4 and 6. Rollers 8 and 10 are pivotally mounted uponone end of each collar 4 and 6 respectively. The collars 4 and 6, andthe rollers 8 and 10 mounted thereon, cooperatively engage the slivercans. A sliver can 13 is shown in packaging position and a packed slivercan 14 is shown in the doffed position. A guide rail 7 (FIG. 4) directsthe course of the sliver cans as the doifer shaft 2 is rotated.

Also shown is a support column 9 connected to the coiler head which isinside sliver can 13. The coiler head is of the movable type describedin the above-mentioned co-pending Robinson et al. application.

The sliver gathering means is best seen in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4. Locatedon dofler shaft 2 above the can engaging collars 4 and 6 are spokes 16,18, 20 and 22. Spokes 16 and 20, which for purposes of clarificationshall be called finger support spokes, have attached near their endsfinger support rods 24 and 26 respectively. The finger support rods 24and 26 in turn support horizontal sliver support fingers 28 and 30.Spokes 18 and 22 have affixed near their ends upright sliver gatheringposts 32 and 34 which are polished to prevent snagging the sliver 36. Inthe preferred embodiment spokes 18 and 22 have rotatably mounted attheir ends rollers 19 and 21 respectively. Spokes 18 and 22 serve theadditional function of stabilizing the relatively long and narrow slivercans as the cans are moved and assist in the movement.

Sliver guide post 38 is also a part of the sliver gathering means.However, it is not connected to the dolfer shaft 2 but depends from anindependent support plate 49. Support plate 40 also functions to supportthe sliver severing means and the knife actuating means.

The sliver severing means comprises a flying blade 42 and a stationaryblade 44. Referring to FIG. 3, the flying blade 42 is shown at rest andthe dotted line representation shows the flying blade during thesevering step. Flying blade 42 is pivotally mounted upon pin 46 and heldin a neutral position by spring 48. Flying blade 46 is operated bylinking rod 50. The cutting of the sliver 36 results from the scissoractionof the flying blade 42 in cooperation with the stationary blade44, which blade is shown recessed in support plate 40.

The knife actuating means is located atop support plate 40 and is bestillustrated in FIG. 2. There the upper portion of blade 42 and spring 48are shown with spring 48 retaining the blade in its neutral position.Actuating rod 50 is connected to a pivoted lever 52 which in turn iscaused to move by a connecting rod 54 actuated. by solenoid 56. Thesolenoid 56 is energized by the closing of switch 58 mounted uponsupport 60. Switch 58 is electrically connected to solenoid 56 by wires(not shown). Switch 58 is closed by the movement of cam follower 62. Camfollower 62 follows trip cam 64 which in turn is keyed to dotfer shaft2.

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing the relationship of the empty,and filled sliver cans in the dofling cycle and the sliver gathering andpositioning means. The purpose of FIG. 4 is primarily to aid in theillustration of the sliver gathering means. Therefore, the sliver canengaging collarsv are not shown nor is the severing means. An emptysliver can 12 is shown in standby position while can 13 is being packedand can 14 ejected. Also represented is the rotating plate portion 66 ofa coiler head (not shown). Sliver 36 is packed into can 68 in therotating plate 66.

In describing the operation of the preferred embodiment the sliver candofling apparatus, principal reference will be made to FIG. 1. Thatfigure shows sliver can 13 in the packaging position and sliver can 14.in the ejected or dofi'ed position. It is understood, however, thatimmediately prior to the initiation of the dofiing cycle sliver can 14had been inv the packaging position of sliver can 13. It must further bevisualized that the doffer shaft 2 and all parts connected thereto hadbeen positioned one-half turn, counterclockwise of the positions of.FIG. 1.

The sequential operation of the mechanism commences when the sliver canbeing packaged becomes filled, and the coiled head operation is.stopped. At that time the movable coiler head is lifted from sliver can14 to a position above the top of the sliver can thereby permitting thesideway movement of the sliver can. By control and drive means (notshown), doffer shaft 2 is rotated one-half turn clockwise per doffingcycle. Thus, can engaging collar 6, which partially encompasses slivercan 14, is moved in a clockwise direction carrying with it sliver can14. The travel of sliver can 14 is directed by guide. rails 7 (see FIG.4). Due to the divergent path of sliver can 14, collar 6 disengagesafter approximately 160 turn of the dolfer shaft 2. Smooth disengagementis enhanced by the roller 10.

Simultaneously, sliver can 13, formerly instandby position, (as is can12 in FIG. 3) is impelled into packaging position by the movement ofcollar 8 and the cooperative engagement of the can with the guide rail7. Once sliver can 13 is in packaging position the movable coiler headwith its rotating plate portion 66 is thrust downwardly into the can andthe packaging of can 13 is commenced.

Since the coiler head is stationary in a lateral sense (i.e. in constantposition over the packaging station) it is evident that during thedoffing of sliver can 14 a length of sliver 36. is drawn from can 14. Tocontinue the sliver packaging operation the sliver extending between thedoifed can 14 and the opening 68- of the rotating plate portion 66 ofthe coiler head must be cut beforethe coiler head starts downward.

As can 14 is being doffed flexible finger 30 carried by the rotation ofspoke passes beneath the length of sliver 36 which is being extendedfrom the rotating plate 66 of the now raised coiler head to the slivercan 14. Flexible finger 30, which is relatively rigid along the verticalaxis,

13 via the opening supports sliver 36 until the sliver is cut and for abrief period thereafter. The sliver support finger 30 is situated sothat itnot only supports the sliver 36 but holds the severed end lightlyagainst the bottom of support plate, 40. This has the advantage ofholding the severed sliver end until the weight of additional sliverentering through opening 68 is sufficient to pull the severed sliver endoff the sliver support finger 30. Thus the extended length of sliver isdeposited at the bottom of the empty sliver can 12 to insure the propercommencement of the next packaging operation.

The rotary motion of dotfer shaft 2 also causes sliver gathering post 34to rotate about the doifer shaft axis. In so doing, sliver gatheringpost 34 contacts sliver 36. The continued revolution of sliver gatheringpost 34 thus forces the sliver 36 against guide post 38 which post isfixed in a position radially inward of gathering post 34.

Thus, flexible finger 30, guide and their respective movements cooperateto locate the sliver 36 between the blades. 42 and 44 of the severingmeans. Because of the pressure of support finger 30 against sliver 36held between the finger 30 and the support plate 40 and the. movement ofsliver gathering post 34, the length of sliver between guide post 38 andgathering post 34 is held taut while it is also to be noted that therelative positions of all the cooperating parts causes the sliver tailsfrom the dofled can be cut at constant lengths.

Since finger 30 is laterally flexible, it remains in, contact withdepending guide post 38 for a. brief period as finger support rod 26continues its arc about doifer shaft 2. During this period sliver 36 isprevented from sliding inwardly off finger 30 or downwardly under post38. This insures the maintenance ofproper sliver position during thesevering, cycle.

The moment at. which the. severing means is actuated is controlled bytrip cam 64. Cam 64 is keyed to dotfer shaft. 2 and designed to-closeswitch 58 via. cam follower 62 once. during every one-half rotation ofdolfer shaft 2. The closing, of switch 58. energizes solenoid 56 therebyactuating flying blade 42 via the linkage of parts 50, 52, and 54.Because the trip cam. 64 and the movements of thecan dofiin'g means andthe sliver gathering means are all keyed to the doffer shaft 2 itfollows that the severing means is actuated at the same relative momentin each doffing cycle. Therefore, the sliver tail ends are cut atuniform lengths regardless of the relative stop position of opening 68-in rotating plate portion 66.

The dofling, cycle above described involves one-half rotation of thedofier shaft 2. In the next succeeding dotting sequence the doffer shaft2 is rotated through the second half of its arc. During the second halfrotation the parts corresponding to those above discussed perpost 38,gathering post 34 form comparable functions. Thus, for example flexiblefinger 28 would support sliver 36 and. sliver gathering 52st. 32, wouldbring the sliver to bear against guide post The foregoing discussion hasbeen made with respect to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Thenumbers of the elements (e .-g..the number of sliver support fingers)could be varied as well as the specific structure shown withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a sliver packaging apparatus wherein each of a succession of cansis positioned below a coiler head to be filled with sliver from thecoiler head, the improvement of a sliver-can dofling mechanism whichcomprises:

(a) a support plate.

(b) a rotatable shaft extending through said plate,

(0.) a can positioning means carried by said shaft for moving a filledcan away from the coiler head and for moving an unfilled can toward thecoiler head thereby extending the sliver between the filled can and thecoiler head.

(d) sliver severing means carried by said support plate, (e) sliverpositioning means including means carried by the shaft in a fixedposition relative to the can positioning means and rotatable by saidshaft for positioning the extended sliver at the severing means, and

(f) means operatively associated with said shaft upon rotation thereoffor actuating said severing means when the sliver is positioned at thesevering means to be severed thereby.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said cans are disposedgenerally vertically and below said severing means such that the severedend of sliver, extending from said coiler head, Will be deposited at thebottom of said empty can.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said shaft and cans aredisposed generally vertically and the means included in said sliverpositioning means carried by said shaft comprises:

(a) a first spoke extending generally radially from said shaft,

(b) a sliver gathering post which is carried by a portion of said firstspoke remote from the shaft, and against which said sliver from a filledcan is drawn as the shaft is rotated,

(c) a second spoke extending generally radially from said shaft andspaced from said first spoke,

(d) a sliver support finger carried by a portion of said second spokeremote from the shaft, for supporting said sliver before and after it issevered, and

(e) said sliver positioning means further comprises a sliver guide postextending from said support plate for cooperating with said gatheringpost to guide said sliver to said severing means.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sliver severing meanscomprises:

(a) a stationary shear blade, and

(b) a shear blade mounted for movement toward said stationary blade,said sliver being severed by scissor action of the blades.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said can positioning means isa collar which is attached to said rotatable shaft and which partiallyencircles a can and engages same upon the rotation of said shaft.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said means for actuating saidsevering means includes:

(a) a cam carried by said rotatable shaft,

(b) a switch carried by said support plate and operated by said cam,

(c) a solenoid carried by said support frame, and operably connected tosaid movable shear blade.

7. Apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising:

(a) means on said support plate for rotating said shaft intermittently,and

(b) said gathering post being disposed radially outward of said guidepost,

(0) said support finger comprising a body part fixedly attached to saidsecond spoke and a generally horizontal part extending inwardly fromsaid body part, the extended sliver being supported between saidhorizontal part and the bottom of said support plate.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said guide post and saidgathering post are disposed substantially parallel to said shaft.

9. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein:

(a) said support finger is horizontal, and

(b) said guide post is disposed radially outward of the are described bythe inner end of said flexible finger during rotation of said shaft.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein there are two similar andadjacent sliver positioning means and two similar and adjacent canengaging means, such that a dofiing cycle occurs with each halfrevolution of said shaft.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,083,415 4/1963 Osaki et al.19l59 MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner. D. NEWTON, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A SLIVER PACKAGING APPARATUS WHEREIN EACH OF A SUCCESSION OF CANSIS POSITIONED BELOW A COILER HEAD TO BE FILLED WITH SLIVER FROM THECOILER HEAD, THE IMPROVEMENT OF A SLIVER-CAN DOFFING MECHANISM WHICHCOMPRISES: (A) A SUPPORT PLATE. (B) A ROTATABLE SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGHSAID PLATE, (C) A CAN POSITIONING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SHAFT FOR MOVINGA FILLED CAN AWAY FROM THE COILER HEAD AN FOR MOVING AN UNFILLED CANTOWARD THE COILER HEAD THEREBY EXTENDING THE SLIVER BETWEEN THE FILLEDCAN AND THE COILER HEAD.